96 Hours
by A98Axo
Summary: Ava is certain that she doesn't need anywhere to stay for Christmas, but Roman isn't convinced. The next 96 hours change the situation completely.
1. 96 Hours

96 HOURS

 **Monday 21** **st** **December 2015**

Ava Johnson had fucked up a lot in her life; she'd be the first to tell you that. Between destroying valuable objects and trusting the wrong people, the 27 year old had made a lot of mistakes. This had to be her worst yet, and every moment that passed was another reminder of what she had done.

She had let Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns control the radio.

The newly crowned Intercontinental and WWE World Heavyweight champions didn't have a care in the world as they sang and rapped along to the music, much to Ava's dismay. Thankfully, there was only about 15 minutes left in the journey to the arena.

"I don't think I've ever regretted anything so much." Ava deadpanned with a slight shake of the head. Dean and Roman shared a look, knowing damn well that it was hyperbole. A few instances flashed to mind that would prove her wrong, like the time she let Dean convince her to drunk call Vince McMahon himself. The less said about that, the better.

"Come on, it was either us or a creepy taxi driver!" Dean reminded her, turning the music down ever so slightly.

"I should've taken my chances." That morning, Ava told Naomi and Tamina not to wake her up is she wasn't already awake half an hour before leaving. For some reason, they'd actually listened to her. This left her without a way of getting to the arena, but Dean and Roman bumped into her at the perfect time, like the angels they thought they were. Of course she was grateful that they'd given her a ride, but it was more fun to tease them than show gratitude.

"You would do something dumb like that." Roman stated. He wore sunglasses (why he did that in December Ava couldn't understand, but that was another issue), but she could perfectly picture the mischievous glint in his eyes as he spoke.

"Don't act like you wouldn't." Ava narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're cute when you're fake-mad." He flashed a smile at her through the rear-view mirror. For so long she had assumed she was immune to that smile of his, the very one that melted hearts everywhere.

From the way her own heart rate sped up and heat rushed to her face, it was clear that she thought wrong.

But then the boys started singing again.

* * *

"How about you carry my stuff inside?" Ava leaned against the car as she asked. Since they had got out of the car, Dean had disappeared to God knows where. This had left Roman as her only option, not that Dean would have said yes anyway.

"You say that like it's a challenge."

The Christmas spirit was rife inside the arena. Ava lagged behind him as she appreciated the attempts to add a festive glow. Aside from the decorations and lights, the make-up artists wore Santa hats, and even some executives had brightened up their wardrobe for the season. Even the door to the Diva's locker room was blessed with a wreath.

"Got anything planned for Christmas? Seeing family?" Roman wondered. Ava frowned instantly, unsure of why he bothered asking. Everyone knew the topic of family was off-limits for her, which made his question even weirder.

"Nah, it's just gonna be me." She noticed the way Roman's face fell at her answer, which equal parts annoyed and mollified her. Sympathy was the last thing she needed, but it was nice to know that he cared. "It's times like this I think I should get a pet, or something."

"You're always welcome to spend the day with my family."

"Don't worry about it." A silence fell upon them, somewhere between awkward and comfortable. Words of reassurance lay on the tip of Roman's tongue, but he knew those wouldn't work for Ava.

"I feel like there should be mistletoe here."

"Why, so I could reject you?" Roman didn't respond. Instead, he gave her a knowing smile and walked away, leaving her to her thoughts.

* * *

 **Monday 2** **nd** **March 2015 – 295 DAYS AGO**

 _Ava saw it coming, but it still disappointed her nonetheless. It was the first time anyone in her family had contacted in months, just to tell her that they wouldn't be attending WrestleMania. She knew she shouldn't have bothered inviting them, it was only setting herself up to be hurt. It bothered her that this still upset her. She had once promised herself that she would stop caring about her family, especially seeing as they didn't care about her. That proved to be easier said than done._

 _"Did you hear me?" Roman's voice brought her back down to Earth. He was sat in front of her at catering, halfway through a sandwich. She turned her phone face-down, so he wouldn't have a chance to see her phone._

 _"No, sorry. I was out of it for a bit." She forced a laugh, but the rest of her face didn't match. The laugh didn't reach her cheeks, let alone her eyes._

 _"I said I liked your shirt." Ava looked down and realised she was wearing one of his 'I Can. I Will.' t-shirts. She tugged at the material, unsure of what to say._

 _"I've got to support my favourite wrestler, don't I?" she managed. In the back of her head, she only wished others could do the same._

 _"Are you okay?"_

 _"I'm fine, just tired." She got up from the table and scurried out of the room. Roman knew she was lying, but pressing the issue would be futile._

* * *

Jimmy Uso approached his wife, Naomi, backstage. She greeted him with a hug and kiss, as if they hadn't seen each other about an hour ago. This didn't bother him though, it was nice to know his wife loved him like that.

"Ay, you remember that bet we made after the Rumble?" he asked.

"That Dean would be bald by the end of the year?"

"No, the other one!"

"Oh, about Roman and Ava hooking up? What, you think you're gonna win?" Naomi had bet her husband that Roman and Ava would hook up by the end of 2015. At the time it seemed like a foregone conclusion, but as time went on it seemed more and more likely that it wasn't going to happen. For some reason, neither of them were making a move.

"Well shit, they've only got 10 days left." Jimmy poked his wife in the ribs. "You ready for all those massages you owe me?"

"Shut up. 10 days is more than enough time, I can still make this happen."

"You're gonna need a miracle." Jimmy snorted.

"That's what Christmas is all about, ain't it?"

* * *

 **A/N** : Hope you enjoyed, I'll be updating everyday in the lead up to Christmas :)


	2. 72 Hours

72 HOURS

 **Tuesday 22** **nd** **December 2015**

As it was the last show before Christmas, the superstars and divas chose the afternoon to exchange their Secret Santa gifts. Wrapping paper decorated the floor as people discovered what they'd been bought.

"Merry Christmas, Ambrose. I'm your Secret Santa." Ava handed Dean his gift, which even she would admit was incredibly generic. There was _some_ thought put behind it, she was sure Dean would love his house to smell like Gingerbread Maple, Sparkling Cinnamon and Vanilla Bourbon.

"What the fuck am I gonna do with candles?" Ava smirked, she had completely expected that reaction.

"Listen, I was gonna get you hair growth cream. Count yourself lucky."

"Remind me to never take part in this again. Thanks, though." He brought the younger woman into a hug before leaving in search of some food. Ava felt a tap on her back and turned around to see Alicia Fox.

"Merry Christmas!" the constantly chirpy Diva handed Ava a perfectly wrapped gift and waited patiently for her reaction. Ava's smile was strained as she tore off the wrapping paper to reveal a half-empty bottle of baby oil. She couldn't tell if Alicia was serious or not. Before she could even ask, Naomi walked up to the two and threw her arms around them.

"Are y'all up for drinks tonight?"

"Always!" Alicia was first to respond. Ava was still in shock about her 'gift', but managed to give a nod of the head.

"Perfect." Naomi had invited many, but it was vital that both Ava and Roman were there. She needed to put her plan into action at some point – tonight would be the perfect time.

* * *

"Alright, alright. I've got an idea." Dean's voice was a level above the general chatter among the group. He noticed the worry in their eyes as they all turned to look at him. "What?"

"The last time you said that, we almost got arrested." Roman reminded his best friend. He was only met with a roll of the eyes as Dean continued talking.

"How about," the man slurred, "we play Never Have I Ever?"

"I'll start." Roman jumped at the opportunity, making sure he had everyone's attention before continuing. "Never have I been locked out of my house naked, in the rain."

Everyone in the circle looked around confused before the guilty party sighed and took a shot. Dean grumbled something about a betrayal of trust before the alcohol burned his throat. He ignored everyone's request for an explanation, stating that some things were better left unsaid. Plus, curiosity killed the cat, didn't it?

By now it became clear that this wouldn't be a fair game. Everyone would be targeting someone, and no one was safe. After about an hour, they were desperately holding on to whatever sobriety they had left. At the same time, they were wondering what to do with all this new information they'd gained about each other. The idea of Dean Ambrose naked in the rain isn't something that can be easily forgotten.

"Alright, how about this..." At this point, Tamina was by far and away the most sober person in the room. She wanted to see madness ensue, and so decided to get even more personal. "Never have I ever fantasised about someone in this room."

Some weren't drunk enough to be able to admit the truth, it was naïve to think that this night wouldn't be remembered. Others didn't appear to care, whether they were intoxicated or not. Ava and Roman both fell into the latter category, and seemed to move in unison as they picked up their shot glasses. They were sat right next to each other, and neither dared to turn to look at the other as they drank. No one else seemed to notice the sudden shift in mood. The atmosphere had changed from playful to thick with tension.

Fresh air was the solution.

* * *

Within minutes of being outside Ava had decided to call a cab and get back to the hotel. If she went back in there, she would have either said something stupid or revealed something that didn't need to be known. It was safer, for both her sanity and dignity, to get the hell out of there.

"You're a liar." Roman's voice made her jump, she didn't even hear him come outside. He stood against the wall, mimicking her pose.

"How?"

"Last year, you told me that you were with your family for Christmas."

"Why are you thinking about this?"

"Am I wrong?"

"Does it matter?"

* * *

 **Thursday 25** **th** **December 2014 – 362 DAYS AGO**

 _After an impulsive decision, Ava found herself in the middle of Times Square on Christmas day. She mentally berated herself for buying a ticket to New York, knowing she'd have to fly out for a house show in the early hours of Boxing Day. Making her way through the busy crowds, it never occurred to her that one could feel so lonely when surrounded by so many people. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, which was a genuine surprise. She picked it up to see that it was Roman calling._

 _"Hi." She spoke with a voice that made her seem much more content than she felt._

 _"Hey," the sounds of his busy family were loud in the background. She could even make out Naomi yelling at Jimmy to stop eating her food. "Just wanted to say Merry Christmas, I know you're busy but…" Roman trailed off._

 _"Merry Christmas. I hope you're having a good day." Ava was surprised that he was even thinking about her on this day, but the gesture really struck a chord with her._

 _"I am, are you?"_

 _"Yeah, it's been great." She let out a breath of air, watching as the cloud danced in the air. "I've got to go now, though. Thanks for calling." The longer they spoke, the harder it would have been to hang up. It made more sense to do it now than waste any more of his day._

 _It also would have been harder to mask the fact she was crying._

* * *

"Of course it matters, I don't like seeing you upset." The arrival of the cab she ordered gave her an excuse to not respond to his comment. She invited him with her, an invitation he couldn't turn down.

At first, they didn't say anything. Whether that was because they were tired or had nothing to say was up to debate, but that last statement during the game was still playing on Ava's mind.

"So, who is it that you've fantasised about?" A nervous, stunned laugh escaped Roman's laugh. "Come on, I wanna know!" He looked over at her, appreciating the sight. The burgundy cami she wore complemented her dark skin perfectly, and her jeans hugged her legs. When she looked like that, how could he not fantasise about her?

"Didn't Dean teach us all that some things are better left unsaid?" he did his best to avoid the question, pushing all explicit thoughts about her to the back of his mind.

"You know what, I'm too tired to pester you about this. We can have this conversation another time." Roman put his arm around her, allowing Ava to rest her head on his chest. The intimacy of their position set off something within her, but attempting to figure out what would have been too difficult. "This isn't over." The sentence was barely audible as she yawned. Gently resting his hand on her hip, Roman knew that what she said was true.

This was far from over.

* * *

 **A/N: Hmm, I wonder who's gonna make the first move? Also, thanks for the reviews and favourites/follows - it means a lot! :)**


	3. 48 Hours

48 HOURS

 **Wednesday 23** **rd** **December 2015**

"We got a problem." Naomi's tired eyes fluttered open to see her husband's worried face hanging over her. She hadn't seen him look so worried in a long time.

"What's wrong?"

"You know that antique vase you bought your mom for Christmas? With all the details and shit?" Naomi drew in a sharp breath, she had a bad feeling about what was coming. If he said what she thought he was gonna say, she might actually have to hurt him.

"What about it?"

"I broke it." Jimmy grimaced. Naomi nodded, trying her best not to freak out at him. An attempted murder would only make the situation worse (which was arguable, in her opinion).

"I think," she spoke slowly, "you should go and buy her a new one. It probably won't be the same vase, but just…" she waved her hand in the air as her sentence trailed off. "Get her something nice."

The next thing she did was get her phone and invite Ava out for lunch, because food seemed to be the only relaxant at this point.

* * *

Jimmy wasn't going to go on his search for a vase alone. Jey, his twin brother, had already declined his offer, stating that he's spent too much of his life fixing his mistakes. On the other hand, Roman was more than ready to offer a helping hand.

For some reason, they found themselves in a grocery store instead of an antique shop.

"What happened when you and Ava left last night?" Jimmy asked, eyeing an arrangement of candy.

"Nothing close to what you're thinking of."

"Really? Nice." Jimmy was another day closer to winning the bet. Sure, he was indirectly wishing for his cousin to not get what he wanted – but Naomi gave really good massages.

"Nice?"

"Never mind." Roman decided against pursuing Jimmy's weird response, especially once his eyes landed on a 24-piece box of Ferrero Rocher. His lips curled into a smile, he knew exactly who would appreciate that.

* * *

Ava's options were either getting a late lunch with Naomi, or sitting on the couch watching shitty television. She probably wasn't going to get an easier choice for the rest of her life. Besides, it seemed as if Naomi was on her way to catching a murder case if she didn't leave the house.

When she arrived at the coffee shop, her best friend was sat at a table scrolling through her phone, as everyone else seemed to be. The first thing Ava did when she sat down was take her jacket off, the weather was surprisingly warm for December and she didn't need it.

"Has Jimmy found a new vase yet?"

"Jimmy who?" Naomi hit back without missing a beat. This earned a laugh from Ava, who now realised to not bring the subject up. Instead the girls spoke about everything under the sun, from hair to movies and even the night before. Somehow, the topic of the WWE Secret Santa had come up again, Ava still confused and slightly bitter about her gift.

"I mean, baby oil?"

"To be fair, I wouldn't know what to get you if I were her. You're so closed off."

"I'm not _that_ bad."

"I'm your best friend and even I feel like I don't know you sometimes." The comment made Ava pause. Deep down, she knew Naomi was right – the woman was rarely wrong. That didn't mean she was going to admit it out loud, though.

"Damn, you didn't have to take it there."

"You don't even want to spend time with our family over Christmas, and you know we accept you." Naomi spilling all of this was more than a vain attempt to win her bet with Jimmy, they were words her friends needed to hear. Whilst Naomi had earned a reputation as the 'nice' one, she was never one to sugarcoat things.

"Roman opened his big mouth again, didn't he?"

"That's not the point."

* * *

 **Sunday 29** **th** **March 2015 – WrestleMania 31 – 269 DAYS AGO**

 _The feeling of euphoria was like no other as the bell rang, signalling Ava as the winner of the match. There was nothing quite like competing at WrestleMania, it truly was the grandest stage of them all._

 _As she rolled out of the ring, it didn't even seem weird to her that her first instinct was to make her way over to Roman's family. She had met them earlier in the day, and the night before at the Hall of Fame ceremony. Talking to his parents and siblings was like second nature, she fit right in._

 _Their hands were everywhere as they all tried to embrace her. In that moment, nothing else seemed to matter. Maybe it was the excitement, maybe it was the sun blazing down on the open arena. Something just felt right._

 _Backstage was just as busy as ever, with everyone doing what they could to contribute to the running of the show. The smile remained on her face as she walked around, enjoying the praise from her co-workers. As she walked past a hallway, she noticed a familiar figure preparing for his match._

 _Roman was in the main event, going up against Brock Lesnar, the beast himself. Ava did not envy him one bit. She walked over and leaned on the wall opposite._

 _"That was a good match." Roman complimented, offering her a smile._

 _"You watched it?"_

 _"I've got to support my favourite diva, don't I?" he responded, echoing her words from a few weeks before._

 _"You should start buying my merch next." A comfortable, content silence surrounded them. "Good luck for tonight. Try not to let Brock kill you."_

 _"Come on, you know that ain't gonna happen."_

 _"Well, it_ is _Brock Lesnar." Ava grimaced. "Seriously though, I'm proud of you. You're gonna kill it." She threw her arms around him for a tight hug before getting on her way, allowing him to continue preparing for his match in solitude._

 _He couldn't help but smile to himself as he watched her walk away._

* * *

Ava was silent, letting the memory wash over her. She sighed inwardly as part of her actually began to consider the offer. Though she was staring at her coffee cup, she could feel Naomi's eyes on her.

"It's not a crime to let others in, you know. We won't hurt you."

"I wish you'd stop being so wise. Just for like, one day." Ava exhaled loudly, feeling a lot less secure than she was when she first walked in.

There was no reason to keep running, but that's what scared her.

* * *

 **A/N: Thoughts? And don't worry, we'll get some Roman/Ava interaction in the next chapter!**


	4. 24 Hours

24 HOURS

 **Thursday 24** **th** **December 2015**

Roman was never particularly good at wrapping presents, but he seemed to have been worse than ever this year. He shrugged at the poorly-wrapped gift in front of him, it was the best he was able to do. His sister was just going to have to accept it for what it was.

His phone rang, preventing him from getting to work on the next present. He saw it was Dean calling, which was surprising seeing as he was meant to be on a plane.

"Didn't your flight leave, like, 20 minutes ago?"

"It's Christmas Eve, shit happens and flights get delayed." came the calm response. "I'm bored, entertain me." Roman rolled eyes before remembering that Dean couldn't see him. They knew each other well enough that Dean could probably accurately guess his facial reaction anyway.

"I don't have that much time anyway, I'm about to go to Ava's."

"Interesting." Dean stretched his arm out on the airport chair, getting comfortable. The man next to him gave him a look, but Dean remained unbothered. The opinion of strangers didn't matter to him, especially not now. "Tell me more."

"What's to tell? I'm gonna give her some chocolate and check up on her." Roman shrugged, quickly checking that the tray of chocolates was still on the table. Realistically, there was no way anyone could have eaten it since he lived alone, but being nervous makes you do weird things like that.

"Chocolate? Nice. Ferrero Rocher?"

"You know it."

"That's my boy!" Dean cheered. At this point, the man next to him had had enough. He grabbed his suitcase and moved to the row of seats opposite, aggressively eyeing Dean the entire way. Dean smirked to himself, turning his attention back to Roman. "Make her fall in love!"

* * *

 _45 Uses for Baby Oil_. Ava clicked on the article eagerly, her curiosity piqued. It briefly entered her mind that this was a strange way to be spending Christmas Eve, but it wasn't like she had anything better to do. She had practically spent her whole day on the couch, alternating between watching movies and surfing the internet. Her phone had deliberately been turned off, she didn't feel like talking to anyone.

She had only managed to get to Use #15 before the doorbell rang. She wasn't expecting anyone, making her hesitant as she made her way over to the front door. She opened the door to reveal Roman on the other side, holding a wrapped gift.

"Oh, hi Roman."

"You sound disappointed."

"I'm not, this is just unexpected." All of a sudden she felt self-conscious in his presence. Her hair was lazily tied back, and the over-sized clothes she wore probably did her no favours. She stepped back, allowing him to come inside.

"This is for you, if you hadn't already guessed." Within seconds she had unwrapped the gift and gasped with joy once she realised what he had bought her.

"You know me too well," she sighed dreamily as she looked at the chocolates. "but I thought the point of Secret Santa was so we didn't have to buy everyone gifts?" That was her own way of nicely telling Roman that she didn't have a gift to give to him in exchange. He didn't seem to care, judging by his reaction.

"I know, but I saw it and knew you'd appreciate it." The smile that broke out on her face was probably the most genuine she'd given in a while, and that pleased Roman to no end. Ava announced she was going to put the chocolates in the kitchen, and he followed her there. It wasn't that she asked him to, but it was better than awkwardly lounging around in the hallway.

"I hope you're not hungry because there ain't much food in here." She opened up her fridge to prove her point. It wasn't necessarily empty, but to Roman it may as well have been. That man could _eat_.

"Well, I did just buy you chocolate." He watched as Ava propped herself up on the counter, still holding the tray dearly to her chest. She looked down from the chocolates back to Roman, letting her brown eyes linger on him for a moment. As usual, he looked good without any effort. It almost wasn't fair.

"You know I don't share food. But since you bought it for me," she started to tear off the tape keeping the tray together, "I guess I can make an exception. Come, I'll even feed you." She giggled at the way his eyebrows shot up and his lips curled into a smile. She couldn't help it, her playful side always came out around him.

"Damn, how can I say no?" He walked over and leaned in towards her, standing between her legs. They both tried as hard as they could to pretend the proximity of the situation didn't have an effect on them. Eventually, she placed one Ferrero Rocher in his mouth and made it clear that that was all he was getting.

"Don't be difficult." He moaned. His eyes were drawn to her lips, and he wondered what they'd be like to kiss. They were probably sensual, delicate and addicting all at once.

"You can have some more if you answer my question from the other night." she teased.

"What question?"

"Who have you fantasised about?"

* * *

 **Monday 14** **th** **December 2015 – 10 DAYS AGO**

 _What a night. After an emotional rollercoaster of a year, Roman was finally crowned WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Ava had tears in her eyes from the moment the match started until the bell rang, and even for a while after that. He had deserved this so much, and she couldn't have been prouder of him._

 _"I still can't believe you're actually the champion!" Ava exclaimed. She was sat on the edge of Roman's bed in the hotel room. After a long night they had finally reached the hotel, but the adrenaline was still surging through their veins and neither one of them was ready to sleep._

 _"I know. This is the best fucking night." Roman couldn't believe it himself. A few months ago it seemed as if this was never going to happen, yet here they were. Everything had fallen into place perfectly, and as he celebrated with Dean, the twins, Naomi and Ava he knew it was meant to be this way._

 _"Look at you, all happy and shit. It's really nice seeing you like this, honestly."_

 _"Why are you sat so far away from me?" He was sat upright against the headboard, and she was close to the door. Ava could think of one reason – a desperate attempt at self-control. She shrugged, muttering something about going to bed soon. "I know you're not tired."_

 _"I should try to get some sleep anyway." She responded quickly. Roman shrugged, grabbing a hair-tie and putting his hair into a bun. Ava snickered to herself as he managed to miss a lock of hair. She crawled over towards him and moved it into place. "There you go, idiot."_

 _"Thanks." They locked eyes, and a silent understanding seemed to pass between them. Ava's hand fell to the back of Roman's neck. Her eyes flickered from his lips to his eyes, searching for permission to kiss him._

 _Before anything else could happen, there was a loud knock at the door._

 _Ava jumped, before removing herself from the situation. She got up off the bed, yelled a quick a goodnight and opened the door. She barely even registered who was at the door as she brushed past them, and made her way directly to her hotel room._

* * *

Instead of answering the question directly, Roman's arms tightened around her waist and he moved closer towards her. She bit her bottom lip, feeling her heart race. Instinctively, her legs wrapped around him.

"Who do you think?" he spoke dangerously close to her lips, and the wait was killing her. "If you want me to stop, just tell me." Ava chuckled against his lips, as if the instruction was absurd.

"I'm never gonna tell you to stop." That was all the invitation he needed before his lips came crashing down onto hers. Her hands found their way to the back of his neck and pulled him towards her, deepening the kiss. She moaned into his mouth, tugging against the bottom of his shirt. He pulled away in an attempt to catch his breath, but she wanted more. Her lips placed hungry kisses down his neck, before catching his lips again.

The kiss was everything he thought it would be and more. Ava was dizzy, unsure how much of this was reality.

The vibration of Roman's phone interrupted them, and he pulled it out of his pocket to reveal a text from his mother reminding him she wanted him at her house before lunch.

"Thanks, mom." He muttered. Looking back at Ava, he noticed she was breathless. "You good?"

"Perfect." She spoke, trying to fight the stupid smile growing on her face. He placed a kiss on her cheek before speaking again.

"I should get back and finish wrapping my gifts. The offer's still on the table, you know."

"For what?"

"To spend Christmas with us. I know this is probably annoying you-"

"Don't say that, you're not annoying me. Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Of course."

After Roman had left, Ava flopped onto the couch. She thought back to the epiphany she had whilst at lunch with Naomi, and it became clearer than ever that the only thing stopping her was herself. As she thought back to her kiss with Roman, she wondered if it really counted as an epiphany if it was something she knew all along.

* * *

 **A/N: ;)**


	5. 0 Hours

0 HOURS

 **Friday 25** **th** **December 2015**

 **1.50am**

Ava's mind was completely overwhelmed, surrounded by memories of so many events from the past year. One theme stood out to her – loneliness. It was time to stop being stubborn, because she'd be damned if she was going to spend another Christmas alone. She was done tossing and turning, she knew there would be no way of getting to sleep before she sorted herself out.

Once she got out of bed, she grabbed a few toiletries, a decent outfit and stuffed them in her bag. This may have been wishful thinking, but hopefully she'd need them. Before getting her keys she tried to fit the tray of chocolate into her bag, but it would only go in so far. She groaned and decided to hold it in her hand as she left her apartment. The chocolates could ride shotgun, for all she cared.

There was only one destination in mind.

* * *

 **2.15 am**

At first, Roman thought he was imagining the doorbell. It was 2.15 in the morning, after all. But it kept going, and he soon realised that there was actually someone at his door. Someone who thought it was okay to repeatedly ring his doorbell in the middle of the night.

There was only one person who could get away with waking him up like this, and she was standing in front of him.

"Sorry for waking you up." Ava looked nervous, playing with the strap on her bag. Roman's eyes were narrowed, and part of her felt stupid for even coming here. "I bought chocolate." His face softened immediately and a small chuckle escaped his lips. He took a step to the side, silently inviting him in.

They walked straight into the kitchen, where Ava dropped her bag to the ground and sat on a chair. Roman, on the other hand, leaned against the countertop.

"Are you okay?"

"I couldn't sleep," Ava began, knowing she owed him an explanation. If anyone had woken her up in the same way, she would have been less than kind. "I just kept thinking about everything that's happened over the past year and, long story short, I really fucking hate being alone. It sucks, and I'd much rather spend my time with you." She had written a speech in her mind on the way over, but what she actually said was much more … authentic.

"You're more than welcome to stay, if that's what you want."

"It is." It felt good to be honest about her feelings. It was more than good, actually, it was liberating. "Have a chocolate, I owe you one." She pushed the tray towards him, and he reached over to grab one.

"I think I'm entitled to more than one."

"Don't push your luck." The two shared a laugh, enjoying the air of calm in the room. Roman was now sat on the chair opposite her, and they were basking in each other's company. There was still an elephant in the room, though. "You know, I'm kinda mad at your mom for interrupting us earlier." Roman laughed, the kind of laugh where his whole face lit up and Ava couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I should turn my phone off next time."

"Next time?"

"Ideally, right now."

"You're not so tired anymore, are you?" she teased. Roman patted on his lap, and he next thing Ava knew, she was straddling him. The pair picked up exactly where they left off, kissing each other with a passion neither had felt before. It wasn't long before their shirts were on the floor, and their hands were given the freedom to roam around the other's body.

This wasn't the reason she came over, but neither of them were planning on stopping.

* * *

 **8.30 am**

When Ava woke up, she felt Roman's arms around her and smiled to herself. Last night wasn't a weird hallucination, it actually happened.

"Merry Christmas." He spoke against her ear. They decided to lay there for a while before getting breakfast. With their hectic schedules, it may be a while before they have such a perfect morning again.

"I didn't think I'd be spending my Christmas morning like this."

"What a difference a year makes, huh?" The two spent the next hour making and eating breakfast together, with Christmas tunes blasting in the background. Roman tried to warn her that his family were loud, and would probably bombard her with more questions than they did back at WrestleMania. This was a good thing, though, it meant they cared enough to know more. Ava wasn't bothered – so far, she was enjoying her new, honest approach to life.

Jimmy and Naomi arrived exactly when Roman said they would. He was busy gathering the gifts together, so Ava opened the door for him. The married couple turned to each other, back to Ava, then back to each other once more.

"Why do you look so shocked?"

"No reason." Jimmy responded. They had opposite expressions – Jimmy seemed to be frowning whereas Naomi wore a huge grin. Ava let them in and all three made their way to the living room. The cousins embraced, as if they hadn't seen each other 2 days ago, and Naomi turned her attention to Ava.

"Did you stay the night here?" she asked.

"Yep."

"No, I mean did you _stay the night_?" Naomi emphasised the last few words of her sentence, and Ava finally understood what she was getting at.

"Oh." She smiled coyly. "Maybe."

"I WIN!" Naomi exclaimed. Jimmy sighed exaggeratedly whilst Roman and Ava looked at her, waiting for an explanation. "Don't worry about it, don't worry."

Naomi's outburst made no sense to Ava, but she was fine with it. Nothing could put a damper on her day, because for the first time in a very long time, she felt like she belonged. Roman could sense a change in her attitude, and seeing her genuinely happy made him happy too.

If the world would let them, they would be happy together.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for all the follows, favourites and reviews it really means a lot to me! I hope you all enjoyed and Merry Christmas!**


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